Commander of US Forces Korea: "Rushing OPCON Transition Could Jeopardize Security Posture... Caution Against 'Speed Race'"

[Financial News] Xavier Brunson, Commander of US Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command, and United Nations Command, stated regarding the timing of the OPCON transition, "If we rush without meeting the agreed conditions related to the transition of wartime operational control, the security posture on the Korean Peninsula could be jeopardized."
Commander Brunson mentioned this at his first press conference with the Ministry of National Defense press corps held at the US military base in Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, on the 8th, saying, "We don't have a crystal ball to see the future, so we don't know when the transition (of ROK military wartime operational control) will occur."
He continued, "There are specific conditions that must be met to achieve from Initial Operational Capability (IOC) to Full Operational Capability (FOC) and Full Mission Capability (FMC)," adding, "If we continue to push in the direction already set, things will go well."
Commander Brunson pointed out, "We must not change the existing conditions while implementing the OPCON transition," emphasizing that "all conditions related to command and control, ammunition, and capabilities are still valid, and there is a reason those conditions were set."
Furthermore, he stressed, "Rushing just to say it's completed will not benefit either Korea or the United States," and "until a new plan is established, the current plan must be implemented. From a military perspective, the new plan must also reflect conditions that ensure the ability to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula."
He added, "Taking an easy shortcut will jeopardize the readiness of forces on the Korean Peninsula," and "therefore, we must adopt a jointly managed and evaluated approach to reach that point (OPCON transition)."
He revealed that half of the outdoor maneuver training (FTX) of the ROK-US joint exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)' scheduled to be conducted from the 18th of this month has been postponed to September at the request of Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo. He also explained, "At this point, disaster recovery is important, so I couldn't stop it."
However, "Training will proceed to maintain readiness, and there will be some independent training by US Forces Korea to prepare for any future situation," he added, "although the exercise was partially adjusted, the exercise will be fully conducted for readiness, and there are no issues with exercise-related decisions."
The upcoming ROK-US summit is expected to cover various issues, including the size and role change of US Forces Korea, the increase in Korea's defense budget, and the OPCON transition. With the 'modernization of the ROK-US alliance' agenda expected to be directly addressed, it is noteworthy that the Combined Forces Commander has stated that the OPCON transition should not be rushed.
Commander Brunson stated about 'alliance modernization,' "We are conducting a reasonable review to perform missions in a different way than in the past in the current operational environment." He explained, "The current Northeast Asia region is very different from the past. To the north, there is a nuclear-armed enemy, Russia is increasingly involved with North Korea, and China is also threatening the Indo-Pacific region."
Regarding the possibility of the ROK military's involvement in the Taiwan issue, he said, "It should not be taken for granted that if the US goes to Taiwan, Korea will go together."
Commander Brunson also stated, "Although we do not specify and name an enemy in the ROK-US alliance, we see North Korea as the closest threat, like an 'alligator right next to the boat.'"
He added, "Looking at the North Korean threat, Russia is linked. The two countries exchange weapons and technology. In that case, Russia is also a threat," and "the Chinese navy circled south of Jeju to join the Russian fleet and headed to Vladivostok. It is very dangerous for these two countries to move like this."
Commander Brunson also cited the redeployment of some forces from the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which operates Patriot missiles, to the Middle East in April as an example of strategic flexibility in adjusting assets on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that capability is more important than the number of troops.
He stated that the gap in the Patriot battery was largely filled by 5th generation fighters, and the Patriot battery will eventually be upgraded and return.
He mentioned that while he does not know what will be discussed at the ROK-US summit, "I think it is very meaningful that President Lee Jae-myung is invited to the White House to directly discuss security issues with the US military commander-in-chief. It is a scene that cannot be seen in North Korea or Russia."


wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yoon Reporter